If Republicans have their way, rape victims will continue to be terrorized by their rapists.

The victim was only 12 years old when Christopher Mirasolo raped her and impregnated her. Despite also threatening her life, Mirasolo only spent six months in prison, only to spend four more years in prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.

That being said, Mirasolo should NOT be allowed anywhere near a child and should still be rotting in prison.

But a Michigan judge has decided that Mirasolo should have joint custody of the child his victim gave birth to eight years ago.

According to The Detroit News, county officials surveyed the victim’s use of food stamps, aid she relies on to take care of her eight-year-old son.

For some reason, the county connected her to Mirasolo and a DNA test was taken. It appears the county was searching for a reason to kick her and her son off the food stamp program so they did all of this without her consent.

Well, despite the fact that Mirasolo is the victim’s rapist, Sanilac County Circuit Judge Gregory S. Ross gave him joint custody of child, ordered the victim to move back to Michigan, and gave her address to Mirasolo.

In other words, Judge Ross just put a woman’s life in danger and endangered a child.

And by giving Mirasolo joint custody, he is allowing a rapist to continue terrorizing his victim.

“I think this is all crazy,” the victim told The Detroit News. “They never explained anything to me. I was receiving about $260 a month in food stamps for me and my son and health insurance for him. I guess they were trying to see how to get some of the money back.”

Her attorney is also rightfully pissed off.

This is insane,” attorney Rebecca Kiessling said. “Nothing has been right about this since it was originally investigated. He was never properly charged and should still be sitting behind bars somewhere, but the system is victimizing my client, who was a child herself when this all happened.”

And the same scenario could play out across the nation if Republicans have their way. House Republicans recently passed a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks and you can be damn sure they will keep trying to ban abortion entirely, with zero exceptions for rape victims. That means rapists will be able to seek joint custody in order to make their victim’s lives a living hell. Imagine having to interact with the person who raped you and having to hand your child over to them.

It’s a terrifying scenario that no rape victim should have to face. Conservatives are constantly telling us that rape victims should carry these pregnancies to term because the baby isn’t to blame. But as long as rapists are able to pursue custody and terrorize their victims for the rest of their lives, women should never lose the right to choose. Because no one should be forced to live their life in terror and fear.